ASTM for volatiles testing would be; in a preheated vessel, 900°C, dwell time 7 minutes only…

The guy , making the charcoal japanese style, was clearly not knowing his job…
That kiln only produced about 250 kg in 15 days… (not per day, but in one batch only)

So, for making it myself easy:
I call input minus output result: all volatiles minus the measured moister (this to compare future wise all other materials)

Next batch testing will be up to 1200°C , to make it challenging…
Question to the readers of this:
Why there is so little loss ? Why not all charcoal turned into gas ?
This is the reason for testing this, for the purpose and the build of good gasifiers…

From the test series with 14% loss, 15 samples are sent to a pharmaceutical lab for analysis

edit: forgot the first serie of tests:
Input material pre burned on minimum 650°C
4 different samples
each sample 2 times 500 grs
ramp up time to 1000°C : 3 hours
soaking time at 1000°C : 1 hour
Protection gas: Argon
average weight loss, inclusive moister: also only 14%

Interasting information!
Do you assume the japanese style charcoal is bad becouse of high volitile content? If so, l think this might not be the case. Japanese charcoal is the closest thing to activated charcoal, meaning it culd a magnet air present volitiles, moisture mostly.

Thanks for this great info. Professor Qi Hua Fan was recently in the news for developing a new method of activating charcoal with plasma for use in super capacitors. I have noticed that some pieces of charcoal from my retort are electrically conductive. I wrote to Professor Fan asking if low resistance/ high conductivity was indication of activation. He wrote to me yesterday saying that he believes that is the case. He has offered to test my samples.

Conductivity is “an” indicator, but there is more to that…
Pore size, wall thickness between the pores, density by weight, adsorption capability,
Now imagine ferrite… compressed carbon ?
Imagine diamond…

Now, during the charcoaling process, the normal carbon pores gets fauled with carbon soot from the process… decreasing the adsorption capacity…
You can clean the pores by means of acid (chemicals) or thermal process
To “burn” the pores clean you need heat + oxydising material

If, you use a carefull controlled system for making the charcoal, then your carbon pores are getting less fauling, hence less cleaning to do…

So , oxydising agent comes from ?
(hint: anything that have an O in its chemical components)

I see the biger picture now. If l remember right, Japanese charcoal is made the way you describe makeing activated charcoal. First slowly baked for s few days for the gases not to expand the wood while it bakes, then a few hours at white hot slightly oxidative enviroment to cleam the pores. Resault is hard, dense, conductive charcoal. If l remember right they allso coat it with white clay powder when finished, not sure why that is for.

Hi Koen, Great video. Not a lick of yellow flame in that charcoal indicating it is well cooked and suitable for engine grade charcoal. I’d be curious to see how “cowboy” charcoal used for grilling would stand up to your testing. I get a lot of questions about using store bought charcoal for fueling an engine. Basically tell them that stuff has a lot of condensed tars in the pores and will not work unless heated up to drive them away.
Good work!
Gary in PA